


Practically a Beta

by PinkPandorafrog



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Dubious Consent, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2019-03-19
Packaged: 2019-09-16 04:18:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16946856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkPandorafrog/pseuds/PinkPandorafrog
Summary: Darcy's been on suppressants for years. It's fine. Until one day...





	1. Chapter 1

In a time when omegas were relatively rare, Darcy was secure in her status as one of the few that “everyone” knew. The suppressants helped, turning her hormones to a beta-like neutral. She rarely even gave it a thought anymore.

_ Rarely _ . Because sometimes when her hormones ramped enough to peek around the chemicals she beat them down with, she thought about it. She’d never done the full heat, never been tied to someone. Buried in the deep, dark recesses of her computer she had a folder of heat porn, of omegas presented and getting fucked stupid by some aggressive alpha. And fuck her if that didn’t look  _ amazing _ . She’d had her fair share of orgasms over the years, but nothing that felt like how that looked.

But it was fine. She was fine. She was practically a beta, and she wasn’t missing a thing not losing herself to her vagina every month.

So when she woke up that morning and she felt a little crampy, she figured maybe it was just gas or something. It didn’t feel quite the same as gas usually did, but bodies were weird.

It had to be just a coincidence that she was also feeling a little extra frisky. And not just,  _ damn it’s been a while since I’ve bumped pelvises with someone _ , but that deeper, more primal desire that meant she wanted someone to put her on her knees and fuck her until their knot rolled up through her pussy…

“Shit.” She  _ wasn’t _ thinking about that. Was. Not. She got the injection once a month, but she had as-needed suppressants for when her hormones got extra excited. She hated taking them because they gave her the worst PMS-like symptoms, but if her body didn’t knock it off by dinnertime, she was totally going to take one.

Work. Work would totally distract her. She had a quick shower and got dressed, stopping just long enough for a cup of coffee. If she kept herself busy enough, it would be fine.

She’d have to be careful where she went. The place wasn’t exactly light on alphas, and she didn’t want to get any of them  _ excited _ when there’d be no follow through. But Tony was a beta, he’d be fine. It was fine.

She had a special body spray that was supposed to block the pheromones from smelling quite so potent. And after that, she made sure to take longer, more circuitous route down to the lab that  _ no one _ used.

Tony looked up when she entered. He sniffed the air experimentally. “Well, you smell particularly bland this morning.”

“Yeah. My body’s back on its bullshit.” She rolled her eyes. “It’s fine. I’ll just tuck myself in the corner there and work.” She eyed him for a moment, her gaze narrowing. “Those are the same clothes you wore last night. Do I have to call someone to get you out of here?”

“Hey!” He held his hands up in surrender. “I napped, you can check the feed. I just have a few things to finish up, and then I’ll go get some actual sleep. Promise.”

She rested her hand on her hip and gave him a pointed look. “And eat.”

“Yes, dear,” came back automatically. “Scout’s honor.”

“I’ll eat my laptop if you were a Boy Scout.” Darcy was fairly sure they’d had some variation on that conversation before, and wasn’t really sure she wanted it again. “Text me if you need anything, I’ll be…” She lifted the earbuds dangling over her shoulder. “Music.”

“Only if I absolutely need you.”

She rolled her eyes and headed over to her little corner of the workspace. She didn’t have an office of her own, but it kind of worked out better that way. Then she could RAA as she needed to for all of the sciency people, and just sort of float between them. And keep an eye on them when they went on science benders. “I’m setting an alarm,” she called back over her shoulder. “Three hours and you’re out of here, or I’m calling in backup.”

“Yes, dear,” came the flip response.

She got herself a fresh cup of coffee before settling into her little nook. She had a partition, not that Tony wouldn’t lean on top of it or just come in to get her attention when he wanted it. And since he was Tony, that tended to be a lot. But he was usually pretty sensitive when she was dealing with  _ this _ shit.

The frisky feeling wasn’t going away. If anything, it was getting worse. So was the crampy feeling, despite the Advil she’d popped before heading in.

At least it smelled good in the lab. Tony generally kept his lab scent-free, but sometimes he worked on things that carried a particular odor. Usually not as pleasant as this.

_ What are you wearing _ ? popped up in the lower corner of her screen. Tony, obviously.

Darcy rolled her eyes and ignored it. Their relationship was probably a little flirtier than was strictly professional, but he didn’t mean anything by it. It was just an old habit.

The scent only got stronger as time passed. She couldn’t put her finger on it, like fresh coffee and  _ something _ . Something soothing that she wanted to wrap herself in like a blanket. It wasn’t bad, but it was getting pretty distracting. She sent a text back.  _ Can you pump up the ventilation? Whatever you’re working on smells too good _ .

She realized that thinking about the scent, breathing it in and letting it fill her senses was the only thing making the cramps go away. That was weird. Maybe some kind of aromatherapy? “Hey, I thought you said aromatherapy was pseudoscience,” she called over her partition.

Her earbuds being taken out startled her, making her jump. “I never said that,” Tony replied in a low voice, his mouth so close to her ear that his breath stirred her hair. “Certain scents are known to have certain effects - especially on omegas.”

Her eyes fell closed, and she just wanted to lean back into him. Wait. “Wait.” That wasn’t even close to the kind of relationship they had. She got to her feet, careful to put the chair between them. “What’s going on?” Because now he was in her personal space, and she just wanted to roll around in  _ him _ . She’d had idle fantasies about him before of course, the man was gorgeous - but this was on another level.

He reached for her, his thumb brushing her cheekbone before he seemed to realize what he was doing and pulled his hand back. “You’re in heat.” He pointed at her, and the lilt in his voice made it the hint of a question.

“That’s impossible.” She shook her head. “Nope. I’ve been on these things for  _ years _ , and I’ve never had a full heat. No one taking them has.” Or it would’ve become common knowledge. The omega community watched that shit like a hawk. “Not only that, but like… Why do you care?”

“I don’t,” he answered automatically, folding his arms.

But his body was telling her something different. His pupils were blown wide, and his stance was bigger, more drawn up than usual. She wasn’t going to look, she wasn’t going to look. She totally looked, but it was hard to miss the rather impressive bulge at the front of his pants.

“You’re a beta!” she exclaimed. She felt penned in by him. On the one hand, super fucking exciting. On the other, it felt like the situation was spiraling rapidly out of control. She needed space. She needed room to move around. She needed to step away from his scent, because it was obviously coming from him, and it made her want to do things like rub against him.

She stepped around the chair, giving him as much space as she could as she moved into the main part of the lab.

“Of course I’m a beta!” he snapped, more irritated than he really had any right to be. He turned to watch her. “Where are you going?”

“I should…” She gestured to the door. “I need to-” She could take a suppressant. They were up in her room. She just needed to get there.

Two quick steps put him in her personal space. “You need to stay here.” It wasn’t quite jedi mind tricks, but she felt an impulse to obey him, to do as he said.

“You’re a beta!” she shouted. “You can’t have a rut!”

“Fuck!” Tony dropped her hand and took a step back. “Of course I am.” He shook his head. “Something’s going on, because I have the wildest urge to bend you over that desk and  _ fuck _ you until you take my knot. I don’t even have a knot.” He paused. “Do I?”

A little noise slipped out at the image that conjured up. “You can’t say things like that!” she yelled.

“Don’t yell at me, Darcy,” came out in a low voice that made her want to-

“I need to get out of here. I need to…” It took entirely too long to tear herself away from the intensity of his gaze. She went to the door, although everything in her body was telling her to turn around and go back to him. The door was locked. “It’s locked!”

Quick footsteps took him to his own computer. “There’s an airborne contaminant, we’re on lockdown until the filtration system gets it cleared out.” More footsteps, slightly halting, brought him close behind her. His hand was almost scalding even through her clothes when it rested on her hips. “Some kind of pheromone, it has to be. Fuck, I can’t think.” He leaned in until his nose nuzzled into the back of her neck, and he took a deep breath in.

Darcy whimpered. She’d never made that particular sound before. Images from her hidden porn folder floated through her mind, and it was all she could do to keep from pushing her hand between her legs to ease what had become a deep, aching need.

His hand slipped around the front of her waist. “God, you smell amazing.” Gentle fingers pulled her hair away from the back of her neck, and the touch of his lips lit her up like a spark plug.

“Tony, you can’t - we can’t -” She took a deep breath, trying to clear her mind. It only pulled his scent in tighter. “What do we do?” She knew what she wanted him to do. And the part of her mind still capable of rational thought told her it was the absolute worst idea.

Tony started working her skirt up, bunching it between his fingers until he could slip his hand into the front of her leggings. He pushed down between her legs. “How are you this wet?”

Another whimper was the only thing she could come up with for an answer. He was right, her pussy was already slick, and he’d barely touched her.

He pulled her leggings down. “Bend over,” came the quiet imperative, like he knew what he was doing.

She bent forward, her hands braced up against the door. Anticipation swirled together with need. Her body was one big hot ache of desire, and the only thing that could help was right behind her.

The zipper on his jeans made a soft noise, and it was only another second before she felt the head of his cock nudge against her desperate pussy. He pushed deep inside without even a moment’s hesitation. “How are you this wet?” he asked again.

“Please, alpha,” slipped out. She’d heard it before, played out in her earbuds, but she never thought it was something  _ she’d _ say. Her rational mind always told her it was trite, but now…

A low growl vibrated through him, catching her breath. He gripped her hips tightly enough to bruise, holding her in place as he fucked her hard. The sound of skin meeting skin filled the air, a steady base for the wet sounds of his cock moving in and out of her.

It helped. The relentless drag of his cock over the sensitive nerves right at the entrance to her pussy helped. But it wasn’t  _ enough _ . Would he even be capable of knotting her? What would happen if he couldn’t? “Tony!” She couldn’t give voice to her worries, couldn’t find the words, couldn’t force them out.

“Hey now,” he replied, the low roll of his voice almost a caress. “Let me make it better.”

Her need pulled in tight. She needed more, she needed- She bucked back against him, trying to encourage him on.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he chanted between breaths. “I don’t-”

“Tony!” He was getting close, his rhythm starting to stutter. It wasn’t enough, it wasn’t what she  _ needed _ .

The swelling at the base of his cock surprised them both. It rolled up through her cunt to pulse against her cervix with his release.

Ecstasy like she’d never felt before swelled through her, whiting out her vision and making her entire body tingle. She grabbed for his wrist as she clenched around him, her fingernails digging into his skin. She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t see, she couldn’t think. There was nothing but intensity.

But at last it started to ebb away. She took a deep, shaky breath, and then another one. “Um, Tony?” Her voice was breathless and dry. Water, she needed water.

“This wasn’t the best position for this,” he said after a second. “I, uh, can’t really go anywhere.”

“But you’re a beta.” She shifted, but the knot deep in her pussy threatened to pull painfully if she tried to get too far. “You can’t do this.”

“If you could tell my dick that, that’d be great. ‘Cause right now I want to sit down at my computer and figure this out, and you’re kind of in the way.” He patted her hip, but the frustration in her voice set her on edge.

Darcy immediately felt a swell of guilt. “I’m sorry,” tumbled out before she could even process it.

“No, honey, not…” He let out a sigh. “Hormones.” He stroked her hair. “You’re fine. I’m not mad at you.”

“I know. Just…” She took another deep breath. “Never done this before.” She chewed on her lower lip. It had felt amazing, better than any sex she’d ever had. But the implications…

“Seriously? You’ve never been knotted before, and your first time was with a beta?” Tony paused. “You know, it would be interesting to get a comparison…”

“Tony.” Her voice was full of warning.

“Right. Right. Well… We’ll figure this out.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Featuring one Jason Statham as Happy Hogan.

Once Tony’s knot went down and he went back to his computer, he seemed to revert to his hormone-neutral beta state. Which helped. Darcy could still feel the crampiness, the frisky feeling she’d woken up with that morning, but it was easier to think without him pumping out epic levels of alpha pheromones.

The first thing Tony did was open up a video chat with Bruce. This wasn’t exactly Bruce’s wheelhouse, but one of his fifty thousand degrees was in biochemistry. Bruce was only a few doors away, but going out there would mean opening the door. And while the  _ airborne contaminant _ was apparently gone, Darcy was still in heat. From the way Tony had been acting just minutes ago, her scent was like a beacon. And there were a lot of alphas out there.

Darcy paced as Tony filled in Bruce on what had happened. She didn’t feel like standing still, because if she stopped moving, then she’d start thinking and trying to process just what the fuck had happened. No, better to keep moving, distract herself with carefully following the same path on the concrete floor.

“And you’ve never been in heat before,” Bruce stated.

“Not even once. I get a bit, um…” Darcy pressed her lips between her teeth. “Frisky sometimes, but the suppressants work really well.” Which reminded her, she should probably go hit up her omega group chat and see if anyone else’s suppressants had failed so spectacularly.

“It might help to know if Tony’s rut was the same as any other alpha,” Bruce said slowly.

“Nope. No. Hard pass.” Darcy stopped and faced the screen, her hands on her hips. “I’m not just going to…” But now that she was thinking about it, desire shivered through her.

“I don’t know that you have a choice, Darcy,” Bruce said gently. 

“Suppressants,” she said desperately, though she already knew better.

“They don’t work when you’re already in heat.” Sympathy warmed Bruce’s voice. “Sooner rather than later, you’re going to start needing to be knotted again.”

Mental images intensified, and she made a soft noise she immediately regretted. “Not helping.”

“You’re an alpha.” Tony gestured to Bruce before glancing back at Darcy. “I mean, as much as you try to live in denial. Are you feeling any different this morning?”

Bruce was an alpha. Bruce could bend her over the desk, his hands smoothing over her hips… Darcy turned away from the screen and took a deep breath. She absolutely wasn’t going to ask him very nicely to come and fuck her.

Bruce sighed. “Darcy, don’t take this the wrong way, but I think that would be a mistake. I can’t help you sort this out if I lose myself in you.” Apparently he’d picked up the direction of her thoughts - although she was practically broadcasting them.

The rejection stung. She tried not to take it personally, she really did. Intellectually, it made sense. He couldn’t both fuck her and try to hunt down whatever the contaminant had been and where it had come from.

But her hormone-drunk brain took and ran with it.  _ Rejection _ . An alpha had rejected her, and while she was in heat. “I’m gonna…” She motioned to her little corner of the lab before practically scurrying there.

Only a couple of people were active in the group chat, but neither of them had either had a problem with their suppressant, or heard of anyone who had. It was started to look like it might be connected to that airborne contaminant, too.

The murmur of voices stopped. Seconds later, Tony appeared over the side of her partition. He rested his arms on top of it and looked down at her. “We’re gonna sort this out.”

“I know. But I’m still…” She gestured to herself.

“Yeah.” He knocked his knuckles against the metal while he thought. “Would nesting help? I have a couple of blankets in here. They’re not  _ yours _ , but you’re certainly welcome to them.”

“What the fuck do I know about nesting?” She felt desperately close to tears. She looked up at him, and guilt shot through her. He looked… Tired. “Sorry. Here I am all me, me, me, and you’re dealing with this shit, too.”

“Hey.” Tony took her hand and pulled her to her feet. His arms came around her, and after a second, she rested her head on his shoulder. They really hadn’t been on hugging terms before, not like this, but he’d just pushed her up against the door… “I’m fine. I’m always fine, it’s what I do. But you can make it up to me. Make a nest and we’ll have a nap. Apparently that whole thing is  _ exhausting _ .”

She laughed, because it was either that or cry. “Fine. But I’m doing it back here.” It was probably something to do with the amount of time she spent there and how much her scent was all over everything, but it really did feel like the most comfortable spot in the lab. Despite the fact that objectively, it was all pretty much the same.

They pulled the cushions off the couch sitting against the wall. Tony produced a couple of blankets and pillows from  _ somewhere _ , and Darcy made a cozy nest behind her partition.

“This has got to be the worst nest in the history of ever.” Darcy surveyed it with her hands on her hips.

“I mean, it’s not pretty…” He gave an exaggerated grimace when she looked up at him. “But as long as it makes you feel better.”

It really kind of did. It didn’t do anything for the slowly growing desire or the achiness, but it was  _ soothing _ . She felt more secure.

“Bruce did bring up a good point, though,” Tony mused once they were snuggled up on the cushions. “At some point you’re going to want to do that whole thing again. I don’t think I’m up for a round two.” The flicker of regret in his voice sent sympathy surging through her. She put her arms around him, holding him close. “But I’m pretty sure you have your pick of any alpha in the building right now. It  _ might _ be a good idea to have someone lined up.”

“I can’t think about that,” she said firmly. “If I think about it, then I start  _ thinking _ about it, and I just… I need a minute?” Avoidance and denial probably weren’t really her best options, but it was all she had.

He lifted his head to look at her, but only for a second.

Darcy closed her eyes and wished desperately that she’d wake up and discover it was all a dream.

She woke up.

It wasn’t a dream.

She’d dozed off, she must have, only now the desire was back in full force. And this time there were no distracting scents or anything to soothe her. She felt like she was burning up from the inside, her muscles aching like she was primed to run and just  _ couldn’t _ .

She got to her feet. Tony was still asleep, one arm thrown over his face. He was an attractive man, but she didn’t want him. No, she wanted someone who could ease the ache deep inside her.

As she neared the door, she heard someone trying the knob. It was still locked, though lockdown was lifted. There was a  _ reason _ it was locked, but that reason seemed stupid and unimportant. She could go up to her room. She could go up to her room and find her vibrator, and everything would be  _ fine _ . She unlocked it and pulled it open.

Happy stood there, his arm outstretched like she’d pulled the handle from his hand. His eyes locked on her and his nostrils flared. “The lab went on lockdown and Tony didn’t answer his phone. I had to check that everything was okay.”

He smelled divine. Not like Tony had, he smelled more cedary, but his scent was just as soothing. “You’re an alpha,” Darcy breathed. How had she not known that before?

He took her arm and pulled her into the lab. The door was quickly closed behind him, and he locked it back up. “Of course I am. Is everything okay?” His deep voice had gone even lower.

She shook her head. No, everything was  _ not _ okay. But she was stuck on how to convey that without the words  _ oh god please fuck me _ coming up.

“Tony okay?” He peered around the lab like he was trying to locate his friend, but his eyes kept straying back to Darcy.

“He’s sleeping.”

Happy drew himself up to his full height and squared his shoulders. “Do you need  _ help _ , sweetheart?”

A soft noise escaped. She took a step back. She didn’t really know him, certainly not well enough to throw herself at him like her body was all but screaming for her to do.

He tilted his head back just a little. “It smells like sex in here, but not another alpha?”

“It’s a long story.” Her voice was mostly steady. She wasn’t thinking about it,  _ she wasn’t thinking about it _ . 

At least until he stepped into her. He picked up her hand and nuzzled into her wrist, sending a wave of pleasure through her. The last shred of rational thought flew out the window. “Then take off your clothes.”

Again, that urge to do whatever he said. As soon as he released her, she started pulling off her clothes. In no time, she stood completely naked.

His eyes swept over her, slow and appreciative. One hand came out and snagged around her waist, pulling her against the front of his body. Warm, he was so warm, and touching him seemed to help, at least a little. “Been a while since I had an omega to do this with.”

Darcy opened her mouth to make some kind of answer, but he leaned in and nipped at her throat. The catch of his teeth made her brain short out. She could only grip at his shoulder as his hand pushed between her legs, seeking out her slick heat.

He found the rise of her clit and rolled over it, his mouth doing impossibly delicious things to the side of her neck.

She could feel the pleasure spiraling in, gathering at the base of her spine. But it wasn’t  _ enough _ , it wasn’t the right kind of pleasure. He could probably make her come just like that. It wouldn’t take long, but it wouldn’t be what she needed. “Please,” she whispered, eyes squeezed shut.

He slipped away, and she opened her eyes to see him shrug off his suit jacket. He folded it and placed it gently on the floor. Deft fingers flicked open the buttons on his cuffs, and he rolled up his sleeves. She stared, almost entranced.

“Why don’t you present yourself for me, sweetheart?”

She’d never done anything like that, but it seemed to be instinctual. She dropped to her knees on the suit jacket and leaned forward onto her elbows, her ass high in the air and her legs spread. Anticipation pulled tight. She hadn’t really given Happy more than a glance or two before, but now taking his knot was all she could think of.

“Fuck me, Darcy.” The zip of his pants seemed overloud, and then he was right behind her. But he didn’t line himself up right away. Instead his fingers traced along her center until they pushed up inside her. 

The stretch felt amazing. She let her forehead drop against her forearms as he rolled into him. Amazing, but not enough. “More, please!”

He gripped her hips, pulling her back just a little. One hand dropped between them, and the head of his cock nudged against her.

A desperate whimper slipped out. She pushed back against him, pulling him deep inside. He paused for a moment, then grabbed her hips and fucked her.

Even knowing what was coming this time didn’t make it easier. Because each sharp snap of his hips only built up her need. She bucked back against him, hands balled into tight fists. The glide of his cock wasn’t enough, wouldn’t be enough.

“What’s-” Tony’s voice came from the end of the lab, sleepy and confused.

Happy  _ growled _ behind her. The sound vibrated through her, making her clench around him. How was that hot? How was it possible that just a sound could ratchet up her need that much more? But he didn’t stop pounding into her, the slap of her ass against his thighs muffled by his pants.

“Easy,” Tony said in a low voice. “I don’t want your omega. I was just wondering where she was.”

One of Happy’s hands slipped down in front of her. He pulled her up against him, until her shoulders pressed against his chest. “She’s right here. Go. Away.”

“I can see that. I’ll just be…” Tony motioned to her partition before disappearing behind it.

Darcy didn’t care. She rolled her hips into Happy’s steady thrusts, desperate for the one thing that would soothe her body and ease her mind. Desire built inside her like pressure, like the next thrust would be the one to tip her over the edge. But it never was.

Another growl rumbled up from his chest, vibrating through her. His thrusts grew short and erratic, and at last, his knot swelled up through her pussy.

Her vision whited out with pleasure as it pulsed against her cervix. She grabbed for him, barely aware of her fingernails raking along his arms as she struggled to contain the sheer ecstasy.

He held her close, his arms around her waist until she stopped clenching around his knot. “There you go,” he said when she started to come back down. He sat back, bringing her with him until she was nestled in his lap.

Her mind felt clearer. And okay, heat sex was a whole lot of fun, but the wanting to do whatever the alpha said, not so much. “Yeah.”

“Can I… come out now?” came from the partition. Tony emerged before waiting for an answer. “See, that makes more sense.” He gestured to them. “Sitting. Presenting makes more sense. Any different?”

Darcy drew a long breath and let it out slowly. “No.”

“Well, I should probably jump on with Bruce, then.” Tony started across the lab. He paused just beside them, hands on his hips. “What did I say about getting naked in my lab?”

“I’m not naked,” Happy answered, amusement clear in his voice.

No, as much as Darcy wanted the feel of his skin, she wasn’t getting a whole lot. Maybe that was a good thing.


	3. Chapter 3

Darcy wasn’t exactly sure how he managed it, but as soon as Happy’s knot went down and she was able to get up, Tony hustled him out of the lab. Happy hadn’t wanted to go, but she was glad he did. It was easier to think and function without an Alpha around, especially since she felt the urge to do whatever he said.

She was still in heat; she could feel the residual desire simmering just under her skin. She’d deal with that when it came up again. Right now, she just wanted to retreat to the comfort of her nest and hide there.

That wasn’t helpful. That wasn’t helpful, and she needed to concentrate on trying to sort this shit out.

She let out a relieved sigh as soon as the doors closed behind Happy’s retreating back, and slumped into one of the padded office chairs set in front of one of the many work surfaces. “So now what?”

Visible again on the screen, Bruce took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead. “Assuming you were both affected by the same thing, I think the next step would be to get Tony in here to run some tests. I’d like to get you in here, Darcy, but…” The unspoken other half of that sentence hung heavily in the air.

She put up her hand, motioning him to stop. “Yeah. Can you please not drop a ton of rejection on me again? I’d really appreciate it.”

“I’m not rejecting  _ you _ , Darcy.” The glasses went down on the desk or whatever his computer sat on. When she risked a glance in his direction, she found his brown eyes resting on her entirely too intently.

“Okay, but my hormones don’t exactly listen to reason.” She shook her head. It was easier to meet his gaze when he wasn’t in the room with her. “Can we just not?”

Silence fell between them, thick enough to touch. It was also easier to stand up to him when he wasn’t in the room, but she still felt an urge to apologize, to make it better. He was still an alpha.

Tony broke the silence with a too-cheerful, “I’m on my way!” He turned to Darcy with his hands on his hips. “Keep the door locked.”

“And hope they don’t have blasters?” she shot back.

He gave an exaggerated grimace. “It’s not the blasters I’d be worried about.” He paused. “Although, in a manner of speaking…”

She looked for something to throw, but there was nothing close at hand that wouldn’t either actually hurt him or shatter. “Just go.”

He flashed her a grin. “Seeya in a sec.” He left the lab.

Darcy followed him to the door to lock it tightly behind him. She was sure she’d get a glimpse of Happy lurking outside, but thankfully he was nowhere to be seen. Venting a quiet sigh, she went back to the desk Bruce’s video feed was on and sat down in the chair.

He’d moved away from the camera attached to the monitor, but she could still see him onscreen. She  _ knew _ when Tony walked into Bruce’s lab, because he scented the air and his nostrils flared. So apparently some of her scent had stuck around on Tony’s clothes, and it was enough to get Bruce to react.

She knew she probably shouldn’t feel any sort of satisfaction from that, but especially after he’d _ rejected _ her, it felt good.

Tony walked into visibility range. He saw her on the screen and offered a little wave. “You don’t have to hang out, you know. You can go and hunker down in your nest if that makes you feel a little more settled.”

“No, I’m fine. I want to help. Just let me know what I can do.” Part of it was that she really,  _ really _ wanted this to get sorted out. And deep down, no matter how much she maybe didn’t want to admit it out loud, part of it was that she wanted to see Bruce reacting to  _ her _ .

Bruce turned to face her directly. Were his eyes darker than they had been? “I need to start some tests here with Tony. Can you get the numbers for that pheromone for me?”

“Yeah, of course. You want peak, duration, all of that?” Darcy grabbed the wireless mouse and turned her attention to rightmost monitor on the desk.

He paused long enough that Darcy turned back to look at him. “Yes,” he replied, his voice slightly tight.

“Okay.” She knew where the environmental records were, and it only took a second to click into them. It was nice to have direction, to have something to do other than waiting around for her body to go crazy again.

She was pretty sure she was stuck like this. She’d have to wait out a full heat. Tony’s situation had resolved itself right away, but he wasn’t actually an alpha. His body wasn’t meant to go into rut. She was actually an omega, though, so…

Bruce would probably be able to tell her. Maybe. Maybe in person. That could be interesting.

She set her elbow on the table with a sigh. It wasn’t nearly the overwhelming, aching need when her body decided it  _ needed _ a knot, but those thoughts were awfully distracting - and persistent.

“Ow!” Tony protested, making her smile. He’d inject microtransmitters under his skin without batting an eye, but go near him with a needle…

She let their words wash over her without paying too much attention. This could have been any workday, Bruce and Tony over in Bruce’s lab while she did data shit.

Except not. Because normally if Bruce sounded that upset, she’d tell him to go get some space, get some air, something. Now she wanted to tell him to come let her make it better. Although maybe upset wasn’t the right word… Stressed?

She looked over at the screen. Tony sat on a stool with his shirt off and a bunch of leads stuck to his chest, and Bruce was puttering around behind him. He glanced at her and their eyes met, the intensity there sending a flash of heat through her.

“Is it just my scent?” she asked, and swallowed hard when his nostrils flared. “Or is there some residual pheromone, too?”

He scrubbed his fingers through his curly hair, rubbing the top of his head. “Both, maybe?”

“Darcy, run a diagnostic of the air in here,” Tony suggested.

“Sure.” She shifted her attention to the left-most monitor and quickly set it up. “Looks like… You’ll have to give it a second for a more thorough report, but it looks like you’re getting hit with low levels of whatever was pumped in here.” She didn’t  _ mean _ that to sound like an innuendo, but it just sort of happened.

“It’s getting hard to think,” Bruce admitted.

An alpha was agitated. An alpha was agitated, and while her body hadn’t shifted into full need again, she was  _ positive _ she knew how to soothe him. “What can I do?” She winced. Could she have made that sound any more like an invitation?

“Shit,” Bruce muttered. He pointed at Tony and said, “Stay here,” in a firm voice that did dangerous things to Darcy’s equilibrium.

Darcy watched him walk across the lab, out of view of the camera. Her pulse leaped in his throat. Where was he going? Was he-

A heavy knock sounded at the door.

She stared at it for a long moment before slipping from the chair and quickly crossing the concrete floor. Opening it showed Bruce standing there, his arms tightly folded and a muscle working in his jaw.

After he pushed past her into the lab, she closed the door behind her and locked it back up. He turned to face her, hands twisting together in front of him. “I think we should run some tests on you too.” 

Being near him made her hormones kick into high gear. Not quite the aching need she’d felt before, but not far off either. “What kind of tests?” That was mostly steady, and she hadn’t  _ suggested _ what kind of tests she wanted him to run.

He went to one of the mostly-empty workbenches and patted the firm surface. “Come here.” That was a little growlier than Bruce usually offered, but her traitorous hormones sure liked it.

Darcy crossed the lab, her eyes on his. It was impossible to miss the way his nostrils flared when she got close, the bunch of the muscles in forearms exposed by rolled up sleeves when his hands balled into fists.

Instead of hopping up on the table, she smoothed one hand over the taut line of his shoulder. “Please, Alpha,” she murmured. She stepped into him, close enough that her breasts pressed against his arm. “Let me make it better.”

His eyes locked on hers. Desire lurked in the depths, a hungry, endless desire that matched the growing ache between her legs. Fingers tangled in her hair, grabbing a handful and using it to pull her head back. Her eyes fluttered shut, but she felt him nuzzle into her throat right over her pulse. “I can’t.” His words said one thing, but the brush of his lips over her skin said something entirely different.

“You can’t think like this.” Her voice was barely a whisper, almost terrified to speak louder so she didn’t break the spell. “Let me help.”

His free hand gripped her ass, kneading the soft flesh through her leggings. “I shouldn’t.”

“It’s okay.” She reached for him, blindly finding the buttons on the front of his shirt. “Maybe it’ll help you figure this out.”

It was a terrible excuse, and he chuckled. After just a second, the sound turned into a deep growl, making her let out a soft whimper. His hand fell away from her ass, only to push down into her leggings. He traced along her center, his touch slipping in the slickness of her arousal. “Take off your clothes and get up on the table.”

Her heart soared. He sure wasn’t rejecting her anymore. She’d made it about halfway through his buttons, but she abandoned them to slip her own clothes off. They fell to the floor, but before she could hop up on the table, his hands found her waist.

He lifted her off the floor and set her right on the very edge. He stood between her legs, but she wanted her pressed against him. Dark eyes burned into hers, the intensity enough to steal her breath. “Now take off mine.”

She finished the rest of his buttons and pushed his shirt over his shoulders. He had on an undershirt, but he took care of that as she opened up the front of his black slacks. His cock, thick and hard, practically fell into her hand.

Bruce batted her away. He lined himself up just right, and drove deep into her pussy with a sharp thrust that had her crying out. His forehead dropped to her shoulder as he stilled there.

She stroked through his hair. It was softer than it looked. “Please, alpha,” she whispered. Saying that was started to feel surprisingly comfortable. She nuzzled into the side of his neck, pressing gentle kisses along his skin. “I need you.”

He pulled almost all the way out before driving deep into her again. He didn’t stay this time, instead setting an almost brutal pace as he fucked her. A tight grip on her hips kept her from sliding back on the table, and she locked her legs around his hips to draw him in deeper.

Darcy was familiar with this now; she craved it. Desire built even as pleasure swirled through her until she almost couldn’t bear it. Her fingernails caught across his shoulders, and she rolled her hips into him as much as she could. She could practically taste it, the agonizing release his knot would bring.

But Bruce seemed to fuck her forever. She felt like she was out of her mind, half-formed pleas falling from her lips as she urged him on. She felt like she would snap, like she would shatter into a million pieces if she didn’t come soon.

He didn’t even slow down, so the swelling at the base of his cock almost surprised her. “Oh!” Her head fell back, lips parted, but it wasn’t until his teeth clamped down on the side of her neck that a scream tore free.

It was too much. Somehow his mouth on her throat made it  _ more _ , pushing her from her body and whiting out her vision. She was dimly aware of the pulse of his release, his cock grinding right where she needed it to.

It took a bit for her to come back down. She became aware that Bruce held her, his arms around her and his head on her shoulder. She pushed her fingers through his soft, curly hair, searching for something to say. “I made it better.” She winced. Not what she’d intended.

A chuckle vibrated against her. He lifted his head to meet her eyes, and he looked a lot less worked up now. “I didn’t intend that to happen when I came in here.”

“Maybe not, but I’m pretty sure we both knew it would.”  _ Both wanted it _ . She didn’t say that part, but she could see it in his eyes. At least, she hoped that’s what that look meant.

“Well, shit,” Tony said from the monitor. Right. Tony was there. He’d watched her have entirely too much sex lately. “You didn’t bond with her, did you?”

Bruce’s expression turned alarmed. His gaze dropped to the side of her neck, and relief relaxed his features. “No. Just a good bite.”

That was another one of those mixed emotions things. It felt a little bit like more rejection. An alpha didn’t want to bond with her. At the same time, Darcy knew neither of them were really prepared for all of that. She sighed, and it was her turn to drop her head on his shoulders. “I hate my hormones,” she whispered.

“I know. We’ll figure it out.” It was reassuring that he made no move to pull away. He couldn’t physically get away from her just yet, but there were other ways to retreat, to draw back into himself. At least he wasn’t doing that.

She gave him a light kiss on the cheek. It was fine. Everything was fine, and they would figure this out.


End file.
